Conan

I've taken the plate off my Marcus Miller Jazz. I think it looks much better without... but yes, the screw holes can be an issue. The audience won't be able to see the holes though. Let's face it, most audiences don't even notice the bass [i]player[/i], never mind their instrument! If you fill them, and then decide to put the plate back on.... Just seems silly.

I actually left my last band mainly for this reason! We always had used setlists (in fact it was me that used to do them), but the singer decided that he wanted the spontaneity of being able to call the songs to "suit the atmosphere and the audience" Bizarrely, he had less imagination than empathy and often used to call the same songs in a similar order anyway... Other songs he would simply forget about for several gigs in a row... Composing a setlist is a very complex job (as well as being a thankless task!). Not only do you have to think about the keys and the tempos that the songs are in, but also things like whether any of the musicians need to change tunings, settings or even instruments. It is very difficult swapping your fretted bass for a fretless one, re-EQing, re-tuning and then actually playing the effing song when the rest of the band have actually started! The singer genuinely seemed to think that "keeping the band on their toes" was a good thing. In fact, at times, we would deliberately not tell us which song was coming next until we were about to start it!! What the hell is that about?

How much do you want to spend? How long is a piece of string? I got great results with an overwound GFS pickup... very inexpensive too - [url="http://www.guitarfetish.com/GFS-PB-Pro-PLUS-OVERWOUND-Alnico-P-Bass-style-VERY-hot_p_334.html"]http://www.guitarfetish.com/GFS-PB-Pro-PLUS-OVERWOUND-Alnico-P-Bass-style-VERY-hot_p_334.html[/url]

[quote name='wateroftyne' timestamp='1388830896' post='2326470']In fact, I'm now considering getting one of these....[/quote] Interesting! I was really impressed with the H115 too.... I wonder if we could get a better deal on the shipping if we ordered two cabs at the same time?

[url="http://www.bassdirect.co.uk/bass_guitar_specialists/Mike_Lull_PJ5_Black_2.html"]http://www.bassdirect.co.uk/bass_guitar_specialists/Mike_Lull_PJ5_Black_2.html[/url]

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1388326631' post='2320758']If what you really hanker for is a Wal then that is what you should at least aspire to, in my opinion [/quote] And the re-sale value of a Wal (if it ever came to that!) is far higher than that of any custom bass. There have been several examples on here, over the last few years, of people trying sell basses that were their "perfect, ideal" bass. Made for them, to their specs. But then they decided they didn't actually like them as much as they thought they were going to. In some cases they sell for less than half of what they cost, even though they are virtually brand new. Of course, if you have money to burn, this may not bother you. But for those of us who have to think carefully before making major musical purchases, it is worth doing a lot of research first.

[quote name='skydivepaul' timestamp='1388318794' post='2320647'] As promised before and after pics....pretty pleased with the result[/quote] Smart! What are those pickups? They look like Roscoe Beck models...

I drive a Skoda. And play Fender and Status. I also like Herbie Flowers' playing. What have strings got to do with any of this?

[quote name='Freddy Le Cragg' timestamp='1388239552' post='2319807'] I can assure you it wasn't me [/quote] We heard you the first time!

[quote name='skydivepaul' timestamp='1388233105' post='2319709'] Just to add excellent service from Jockomo I ordered on Sunday 22nd and they arrived this morning.........so much for the Christmas rush!! will post before and after pics soon [/quote] Thanks for the reminder... just ordered a set for my MIM jazz!

Some second-hand MIM Fenders are going for around £200, which is crazy money if you get a good one. [i]Caveat emptor[/i] and all that, of course. Some of the cheap Ibanez basses are incredible for the price. I played a student's GSR200 earlier this year and it was excellent. One a good day you might even get one new for £200!! Even some of the Stagg basses offer excellent value for money. When I was starting off, some 30 years ago, cheap [b][i]meant[/i][/b] cheap! Anything that cost the equivalent of £250 then would have been virtually unplayable and sounded poor. The budget end of the scale really has shot up in quality in the last 30 years or so. It is a very good time to be a young musician!

[quote name='sammybee' timestamp='1388172747' post='2319183'] bargain of the year [/quote] Definitely! Even with the standard pickups and pre-amp, these are very good basses. For the price of a used MIM standard...

[quote name='thisnameistaken' timestamp='1388193304' post='2319444'] Why does anybody spend so much to get that sound? [/quote] For you as the player, it's not just about sound though, is it? The feel of an instrument can make a huge difference to the way you play. Why "slum it" with a cheap bass if you already have a decent one, but fancy trying some different strings? [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFBSvie8ASY"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFBSvie8ASY[/url]

Flats limited? Apart from sounding like a student lettings agency, I kind of agree. But all strings are limited in certain ways! You certainly won't get that clangy zing that you get with new rounds (which I personally like, but others hate!). On the other hand, you can't really get the "flats sound" from rounds.... If I was a bit more computer-savvy I would produce some sort of Venn diagram (like Skank does)... Flats with a pick? I have only twp words to say to that. Herbie Flowers!

[quote name='TheGreek' timestamp='1388156918' post='2318964']You can get the best of both worlds by getting, as Luke says, an ACG. I'm sure that Alan would be happy to build a more conservative bass.[/quote] Good point. A lot of bass/guitar makers (as we don't seem to be calling them 'luthiers' these days...) like a challenge. If there are things you like about Wals, Overwaters and Laklands (among others) then a quality maker like ACG (or Shuker, who others rave about) should be able to combine the features you want to get a bass that is "you". Buy a Wal "off the peg" (as it were) and you may be several thousand pounds lighter in the wallet but still be frustrated by what you see as its shortcomings...